A young man risks his life to save a magical creature and discovers he has the gift to become a wizard. Thrust into a world of magic, politics and intrigue, he finds himself caught up in the struggle for control of a kingdom.

Seated in his study
where he had been doing paperwork, Edouard sagged back in his chair
and stared at his hands resting on the table in front of him. "So
he did kill my father?" he said tonelessly.

"It appears so,"
Colwyn replied gently. "He will not admit it, but he did attack
the judicial panel that was assembled to hear the charges against
him. That act has made most wizards inclined to accept a presumption
of guilt in the death of King Heston."

Edouard nodded,
still staring sightlessly at the hands lying limply in front of him.
"He betrayed this kingdom," he said, his voice barely audible.
"He betrayed my father, me and the Wizard's Hall." He looked
up at Colwyn and pushed to his feet. "And he violated the oath he
took when he was named the Royal Wizard," he continued in a
stronger tone. He straightened his back. "What assurances will
the Wizard's Hall give the Crown that such a betrayal will not
happen again?"

"Yes," Edouard
agreed with a nod. "This kingdom has always had a Royal Wizard
serving at the king's right hand and I do not mean to break that
tradition, but I will not blindly accept whomever is brought forward
as Imbario's replacement. Everyone whose name is submitted to me
may expect to undergo considerable scrutiny."

"That's fair."
Colwyn smiled. "And I am honestly pleased to hear you say so. In
my opinion, Imbario's actions have put all wizards under suspicion.
He had supporters, after all. Now every wizard must earn back the
trust that Imbario flushed away."

"Not everyone,"
Edouard replied with an answering smile. "I trust you and Divwall.
And Kieran. When will he be allowed to return?" Edouard watched
Colwyn's face as he asked the question. When Colwyn had arrived to
report on the outcome of Imbario's trial, Edouard had been
disappointed to find him alone. He missed Kieran.

"I'm not sure,
to be honest," Colwyn answered slowly. "Not surprisingly, the
revelation of his powers has caused a great deal of shock. Gavilan
wants to keep him in the Hall, but there are many wizards opposed to
this. Rogue wizards inspire a lot of fear."

"Kieran is not a
rogue!" Edouard said sharply. "He may be powerful, but he is not
a threat to anyone."

"I agree with
you," Colwyn said, "and so does Gavilan. He thinks there is a
lot to be gained by having someone with Kieran's powers answering
to the Hall."

"I want him to be
my Royal Wizard," Edouard said. He met Colwyn's eyes. "Kieran…
belongs with me."

Colwyn shifted
uncomfortably. "That may be difficult, Majesty. Kieran is still
young and has several years of training ahead of him. Plus, there
may be some who will resist the idea of having a rogue wizard so
close to the king."

"I told you: he's
not a rogue."

"Yes, but that is
how many people see him and we will have a difficult time changing
that perception. People fear power; even wizards."

Edouard frowned.
"Nevertheless, when Kieran graduates from the academy, he will
serve me here at court. I will not accept anything else."

Colwyn sighed.
"Very well. I will tell Gavilan that. But in the meantime, you
will have to appoint someone else. It will be at least four years,
maybe longer, before Kieran completes his training. We will need at
least that long to convince people that he is taking the ethics
training to heart, which is the only thing likely to change the
belief that he is a rogue."

"I can accept
that," Edouard replied. Then he smiled at Colwyn. "Why don't
you take the post? It would save me a lot of bother."

Colwyn paled.
"Become the Royal Wizard?" He shook his head quickly. "I can
think of several reasons not to, the foremost being that Imbario is
my father. But more importantly, I do not have the temperament for
court life. And now that I have met a madrin," he added with more
excitement, "I am desperate to get back out into the woods to learn
more."

Edouard laughed. "I
should have expected that answer!" He waved a hand. "Well, no
matter. I'm sure I'll find someone who suits me." He did not
add that part of suiting him meant a willingness to step aside when
Kieran became eligible for the post. But, remembering what had
started the conversation, he grew thoughtful. "What will happen to
Imbario now?"

"His powers will
be permanently bound and he will be confined to a prison cell on
Bright Isle for the remainder of his days." Colwyn sighed softly.
"Few wizards live long after a binding, however. Being cut off
from one's power is… deadening." He smiled sadly at Edouard.
"In truth, it's crueler than execution."

Edouard returned
Colwyn's sad smile with a humorless one of his own. "I suppose I
should be glad, then. A few years of suffering on his part seems
fair after what he did to me. But Kieran would be disappointed in me
for being heartless. So I'll just say that whatever punishment the
Hall deems appropriate is acceptable to the Crown."

Colwyn inclined his
head. "You are becoming a great king, Edouard."

"Thank you."
Edouard accepted Colwyn's compliment with a faint smile. Should
I tell him that I am just trying to live up to Kieran's
expectations?

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kieran sat alone at
a table in the dining room wishing there was somewhere else he could
eat dinner. All around him, wizards and students watched him with
alarmed, angry or frightened expressions. He kept his eyes down and
focused on the food in front of him. Colwyn had told him to expect
something like this once the rumors started to spread, but it was
still dismaying.

A tray appeared in
his field of view on the opposite side of the table and he looked up
in surprise to find Tank staring down at him with a worried frown.
Tank glanced around and then quickly took a seat amid a flurry of
whispers. He leaned toward Kieran and spoke in a low voice.

"Kieran, what's
going on? First people were saying you kidnapped Prince Edouard and
now they're saying you're a rogue wizard." He stared at Kieran
with concern in his bright blue eyes. "You can tell me, can't
you?"

"I didn't kidnap
Edouard," Kieran whispered back. "I took him to see a madrin so
he could be cured."

"You did?!" Tank
squeaked. "Did it work?"

"Yes." Kieran
almost smiled at the look of comical shock on Tank's face. "We
were on our way back when we got word that the king had died.
Edouard wanted me to stay with him until everything was resolved and
that's why I didn't come back sooner."

"Wow!" Tank's
eyes went round with excitement. "So you're friends with the new
king? That's fantastic!"

Kieran just
shrugged.

"So about the
other thing," Tank continued after a moment. "Why is everyone
saying you're a rogue?" He watched Kieran's face with open
curiosity as he spoke.

"Well…" Kieran
began, struggling for the right words. He did not want to make Tank
afraid of him, but neither did he want to lie to him. "I can do
things other wizards can't," he said finally. "I can invent
new spells just by thinking about what I want to do."

"Really?!" Tank
stared in amazement. "And they put you in third year?!"

Tank's simple
assessment of the situation suddenly eased Kieran's unhappiness.
If the first thing Tank thought of was that he had been ranked
incorrectly, maybe there was hope that others might see it that way
too. He laughed softly. "I guess being around Edouard and trying
to take care of him really brought it out. I was thinking so hard
about protecting him that it never occurred to me that the spells I
was coming up with had never been done before."

Tank thought
seriously about this for a moment and then a look of understanding
dawned on his face. "I get it!" he exclaimed. "We learned in
second year that rogue wizards can make up spells on the spot, which
is why they can be so dangerous. The rest of us have to study and
practice, and how good we get depends on how powerful we are and how
hard we work at it." He peered hard at Kieran. "So by that
definition, I guess you are a rogue."

"But I don't
want to hurt anybody," Kieran said quickly.

"I know that!"
Tank said with easy confidence. He sat back with a wide smile.
"Thanks for telling me. I feel a lot better now. I was really
worried for a minute there." He looked over his shoulder at a
nearby table. "Hey! There's nothing to worry about. Kieran's
fine."

At Tank's words, a
couple of their classmates, Lisette among them, got up and came over
to their table.

"I'm so glad
you're all right, Kieran!" Lisette said when she sat down. "We
were really worried about you when you disappeared."

"That part about
you being a rogue kind of threw us," Lisette admitted. The
red-haired boy nodded.

"Kieran's got
some exceptional skills," Tank put in quickly. "Personally, I
think snobby wizards with weak powers slap that label on anybody
who's more powerful than they are."

"That's right!"
a third boy said, nodding vigorously. "I'm sorry I didn't
stick up for you more, Kieran."

"That's all
right." Kieran smiled around at his classmates. Until this moment,
he had not realized that they were also his friends. "I got
involved in things that maybe I shouldn't have. It's gotten me
noticed and we servants have always known that being noticed is never
a good thing."

"That's the
truth!" the red-head agreed emphatically.

"So tell us what's
been happening," Lisette said eagerly. "We students hear nothing
but rumors and they're so distorted by the time we get them we have
no idea what's really going on." She leaned forward expectantly
and the others followed suit. Kieran was not sure how much he should
tell them, but then he had not been specifically told to keep quiet
and news of Imbario's crime and punishment would soon be known to
everyone. So he kept his voice low as he proceeded to tell them the
story of his past few weeks.

-o-o-o-

Kieran stood
carefully at attention in Divwall's study, where he had been
summoned after dinner, facing the tall wizard. She regarded him
silently from her customary padded chair, her expression unreadable.

"We have decided
that you should witness Imbario's binding ceremony," she said
abruptly.

Kieran stared.
"Me?! Why?"

The corners of her
mouth lifted into a humorless smile. "Some of the wizards on the
judicial panel, namely Hothram, hope it will teach you to fear a
conclave of wizards. But I suspect his intent will backfire." She
tipped her head to one side as she studied him. "Tell me honestly:
if you see the binding spell, you'll be able to counter it, won't
you?"

Divwall smiled.
"Thank you for being honest, Kieran. I will tell you truthfully
that your abilities dismay me, but perhaps there is some degree of
jealousy, too." She chuckled. "We wizards envy the powers others
possess which we do not."

"I never wanted to
upset anyone," Kieran responded with an unhappy frown.

"I know that,
Kieran." Divwall stood up. "But you inspire fear just by
existing, I'm afraid." She stepped forward and patted him on the
shoulder. "But come. It's time for the ceremony."

"Tonight?"
Kieran stared at her in surprise.

"We don't like
to wait on these things," she said with a sigh. "Not everyone
agrees that Imbario is guilty, despite his attack on us. They will
say he was provoked by you. So it's better to complete the
ceremony as soon as possible. And binding is a dark power. It's
better to do it at night." She turned Kieran by applying pressure
to his shoulder and guided him to the door. In the hallway, she
turned to the left and led Kieran to the end of the hall. They went
down two flights of stairs and followed another hall past several
closed doors, turned another corner and continued until the way was
barred by a single door spanning the width of the hallway.

Divwall stopped,
rapped on the door once and whispered a spell under her breath. The
door swung open. She glanced at Kieran. "The spell which opens
this door is known only to a handful of senior wizards. Beyond it is
the dungeon and the room we use for bindings. When the dungeon is
occupied, this door is guarded day and night and opened only twice a
day, when a servant is escorted inside to take the prisoners their
meals. We do not often use it." She stepped inside with a
resigned expression.

Kieran followed her
reluctantly. He had not wanted to know about this dark side of the
Wizard's Hall. The door swung shut behind them, sealing them into
a chilly darkness lit only by the flare of golden witch fire dancing
above Divwall's palm. Beyond the door, the hallway narrowed and
the stone walls became rougher. A dozen or so paces farther on the
hallway became a steep staircase, descending into even chillier
depths. At the bottom of the stairs on the right was a single door.
Flickering light was visible through the opening and it was through
this door that Divwall led him.

A circular room
constructed entirely of smoothly finished stone lay beyond the door.
Torches flared in brackets equally spaced around the walls, staining
the stones above them with soot. The floor of the room was painted
with a series of concentric circles in shimmering white, spaced about
an arm's length apart. Imbario stood in the centermost ring,
stripped of his fine robes and wearing only a plain shirt and
trousers. His feet were bare. Several wizards stood against the
walls. Instinctively, Kieran counted them. There were eighteen.
Divwall made nineteen as she closed the door behind him.

"Stand there,"
Divwall instructed. She pointed to a spot next to the door. She
herself stood in front of the door, her arms folded under her
breasts.

Gavilan immediately
stepped forward, stopping inside the outermost ring. "Tonight we
will bind the powers of one of our brethren. We do this because he
has used his power to bring harm to others, which is the greatest
crime any wizard can commit. Ten wizards of the highest rank are
required to perform a binding. Each of you here falls in this rank."
At these words, the eyes of several wizards flicked to Kieran.
Kieran blinked nervously. Gavilan continued without giving any sign
that he had noticed. "Binding is a dark power that stains the soul
of the wielder. No one may be compelled to practice this spell. Who
will volunteer to perform this ceremony with me tonight?" Gavilan
looked around the room. Divwall immediately stepped forward. One by
one, other wizards stepped forward until ten of them stood just
inside the outermost ring. Hothram remained against the wall, a harsh
glare on his narrow face. Gavilan nodded. "Very well. The rest of
you shall stand as witnesses. Let us begin."

He lifted his hand,
holding it with the palm pointing toward Imbario, and began to speak.
The words of the spell were simple and Kieran recognized the intent
immediately. It was similar to the suppression spell he had used.
When Gavilan completed the spell, the wizard on his left lifted his
hand and began to recite the spell in concert with Gavilan. Each
time the spell was completed, another wizard joined until all ten
were speaking. Once the spell was completed for the tenth time, the
wizards stepped forward into the next circle and moved a pace to the
left. They chanted the spell ten times and then stepped forward and
to the left again. As they moved, Kieran could see the ropes of
magic woven from the spell forming between Imbario and the palms of
the wizards' hands. As they moved, the ropes wound around Imbario,
settling onto him and sinking into his skin. The color slowly drained
from Imbario's face as the ceremony proceeded and sweat trickled
down as he watched the wizards move around him. Kieran wondered why
he did not resist. But Imbario remained immobile as the wizards drew
closer and closer to him, until they stood outside the circle
containing him. As they completed the chant for the tenth time in
that circle, the wizards reached out and touched him simultaneously.

Imbario threw his
head back and screamed in anguish. His horrified shriek echoed from
the stone walls and the torches guttered in response. The ten
wizards stepped back, looking tired.

"I will take him
to his cell," Gavilan said. His face was drawn and haunted. He
reached out and took Imbario by the arm. At his touch, Imbario
collapsed to his knees, sobbing wretchedly.

Another wizard, one
of the witnesses, stepped forward. "I'll help you." Between
them, they lifted Imbario to his feet and led him toward the door.
Quickly, Kieran pulled it open and stepped back. Imbario rolled his
eyes at Kieran as he went by, a look of seething hatred burning
beneath the horror in his eyes. Kieran quickly turned away and found
himself staring at Divwall's chin. He looked up into her eyes.

"Why didn't he
resist?" he whispered.

"He could not,"
she replied gravely. "Once a wizard is placed inside the central
circle, he cannot leave until he is escorted out." Divwall bowed
her head. "Being placed in the circle is a horrible fate. The
binding spell is evil." Her eyes, like Gavilan's, looked
haunted. "I need to cleanse myself. Come." She led him out of
the dungeon and back into the open hallways of the Hall. "You are
to speak of the binding ceremony to no one," she said firmly,
"including King Edouard. It is wizard's business."

"Yes, my lady,"
Kieran murmured obediently.

She put a heavy hand
on his shoulder. "Life will not be easy for you for the next few
months, but in time, if you do not exhibit any unusual talents,
people will forget. Be patient and concentrate on your studies.
Once you have sworn your oath of obedience and don robes with the
royal crest on the shoulder, you will be trusted, as much as any of
us ever is," she added with a harsh laugh.

"My lady,"
Kieran began tentatively, "will I be allowed to visit Edouard?"

Divwall pursed her
lips as she looked down at him. "If Edouard summons you to court,
even I cannot tell him no," she said. "But your studies have to
come first, is that clear?"

"Yes, my lady!"
Kieran could not help smiling. He could endure anything as long as
he could still see Edouard.

"Go to bed,"
Divwall ordered. "You've missed a lot of school. You have a lot
of catching up to do." She trudged tiredly away, her shoulders
slumped.

Kieran hurried
toward the tower, but as he rounded a corner, he came face to face
with the wizard Hothram. The pinch-faced wizard glowered at him.

"Do not think you
are getting off scot-free, rogue!" the wizard hissed at him
angrily. "I know what you are and I will never forget!" He
whirled around and stamped away, his robes swishing sharply from side
to side.

Kieran watched him
go. There was an undeniable stench of fear in the air. Hothram was
afraid of him. Kieran absorbed the knowledge in silence. Fear made
people dangerous, even more so than raw power. He would have to be
careful. He lifted his hand and studied his own palm, coming to a
sudden realization. The binding spell required ten wizards because
that was the only way they could make the spell permanent.
Otherwise, the spell would fade over time. If a single wizard cast
the spell, it would temporarily disable another wizard, but
eventually that wizard's powers would return. On the other hand,
the protection spell he had put on Edouard was permanent. Kieran
looked up at Hothram's retreating back. I could cast the
binding spell by myself and make it permanent, he thought, and
I know how to counter it. I could break the binding spell on Imbario
if I wanted to.

"But the ferry
should have arrived an hour ago! Didn't you send a carriage to
fetch him like I ordered?"

"I did, Sire,"
Landon said with amused patience. "You should finish reviewing
those recommendations for Royal Wizard."

"I'll do it
later," Edouard said impatiently. He tossed the pages onto the
table in front of the couch. He should have left them in his study,
but everyone was anxious about the appointment of a new Royal Wizard.
But it had been three weeks since Kieran returned to Bright Isle and
Edouard missed him. According to Colwyn, he was settling back into
his studies and was doing all right, but Edouard would not believe it
until he heard it from Kieran's lips. He jumped to his feet at a
knock on the door, but remained where he was at a stern glance from
Landon. Landon was determined to make him behave with a king's
dignity at all times.

But dignity flew out
the window when Landon opened the door and Kieran stepped in.
Edouard raced around the table and embraced him happily.

"Kieran! I missed
you! How have you been?"

"I am well, Your
Majesty," Kieran replied a little stiffly. Curious people peered
through the still open door at them and Landon closed it with a
muffled snort.

Kieran's arms
immediately tightened around Edouard's waist. "I missed you too,
Edouard," he said. "How have you been getting on?"

"Just fine."
Edouard took his hand and led him back to the couch to sit down.
"Governing is much easier than I expected. Most of the time I just
read reports and sign them. I remember Father hated reading the
reports, but I'm used to spending most of my time reading. I
should probably get outside more, but I never think of it." He
grinned at Kieran. "Maybe I should come visit you on Bright Isle."

"I would like
that." Kieran returned his smile.

"So how is it for
you?" Edouard watched his face, looking for signs of unhappiness.

"All right, I
guess. A lot of people don't trust me and some are still afraid of
me, but it's getting better." He folded Edouard's hands in
his. "I wish I could see you more."

"But you need to
study," Edouard finished for him. "You have to finish your
training so you can serve me here at court."

"Yes." Kieran
nodded. "That's what I want, so I'm working very hard."

"Good." Edouard
fell silent, studying Kieran's face. The young wizard returned his
gaze, his dark eyes full of secrets. "I still feel like there's
so much I don't know about you," he said softly.

"There is much
less to me than people think," Kieran replied just as softly.
"Becoming a royal wizard so I can serve you is all I want."

Edouard smiled.
"Having only one goal does not make you simple, Kieran. It makes
you focused. Perhaps that is why people fear you; because they know
they cannot buy your loyalty." Edouard raised his voice. "Landon,
Kieran will stay in my room tonight. We only have one night, so I
don't want to waste any of it."

"Very well, Sire.
I will have dinner brought here."

"Thank you."
Edouard grinned at Kieran. "And make sure they have grilled
tomatoes with cheese tonight. And we want tomatoes and sausages for
breakfast."

"And porridge
too," Kieran added with a wide smile.

"Yes, and
porridge!"

Landon shook his
head in amused resignation as the two young men giggled at each
other, their hands still intertwined. "Will there be anything
else, Sire?"

"No, thank you,
Landon," Edouard replied, trying to still his laughter without
success.

"Then I will leave
you until dinner." Landon bowed and left, still shaking his head.

As the door closed
behind him, Edouard dissolved into a gale of laughter. "I should
make them serve sausages and porridge for breakfast! The nobles
would have fits!"

"You wouldn't!"
Kieran laughed

"It would be
funny!" Edouard leaned back against the couch. "And it would
keep them on their toes. They need to learn that I am not my
father." His laughter faded and he sighed. "You are not the
only one who has much to learn." He glanced at the papers on the
table. They were the recommendations for Royal Wizard sent from
various noble families. Most of them were promoting some relative or
other who had managed to get through the academy and graduate with a
royal crest on his or her shoulder. "I wish I didn't have to
pick someone to serve as Royal Wizard until you graduate. I really
don't need anyone but you at my side."

Kieran squeezed his
hand. "I will always be at your side, Edouard, even if I am not
your Royal Wizard. I will serve you even without the title."

Kieran nodded and a
smile spread slowly over his face. "Will you read to me from one
of your books?" he asked unexpectedly. "I've started learning
to read at the academy and I want to practice."

"Of course!"
Edouard exclaimed happily. "I love reading!" He jumped up and
started for his bedroom, where he kept his books. Then he whirled
toward Kieran. "I know! I have a book about madrin that Colwyn
gave me. Let's start with that."

"That's
perfect," Kieran said, his eyes shining.

Much later, after
dinner was eaten and the dishes cleared away, when the palace was
sinking into silent slumber, Landon and Justus found the two young
men in Edouard's bed sound asleep facing each other, the book lying
on the coverlet between them. With a warm smile, Landon moved the
book to the night table and he and Justus covered the pair with a
blanket.

"We should
probably not let them spend the night like this," Justus whispered.

"Probably not,"
Landon agreed, "but perhaps we can allow it this one time." He
gestured at Edouard. "I have never seen him smile in his sleep
before."

Justus smiled
affectionately at his king and nodded. "Yes, perhaps just this one
night."

Quietly, the two
servants left, leaving the young king and his wizard companion to
sleep in peace.

-o- The
End -o-

I would like to
thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story. It has
been a lot of fun writing it and I appreciate all the positive
feedback I have received. If you enjoyed this story, perhaps you
will be pleased to know that there will be a sequel. I don't want
to spoil the surprise, so all I'll say about the new story is the
title: The Royal Wizard.

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.